Electrical-fixture-supporting device



c. L. HOPK INS V ELECTRICAL FIXTURE SUPPORTING DEVICE Oct. 25, 1927. 1,646,482

- Filed May 20, 1921 mam.- m

' vvice in which the fixture-can bereadily con- .20 ing I ;The' plug-in dev ce;

V i Patented 25,1927.-

cums 1;;ledrm'sgq ymvea Fam 1 were :MANUEACTUBING comeniw, or i tumors. i

'1 pn eii i y e M i 5' My inventionrelatesi toelectrical firitj fa supporting devices, and connections there- 7 one of the objects of my invention isito 6 providean improved fixture supporting def nected and disconnected with respect to the. receptacle; both electrically andj' inechani l y;. .t ,1

A further Qbjeetv of m ginvenuonis to provide such a device which will b'eifs'im'ple in I construction; cheap to I anuf cture; and durable and eflicientin'use.

4: is a section on of h c n t u ti n own a t w nesl i omp i e ture 2,: (th m le e be ng shown): a receptacle 13 plu d ice 14;, ton electrically connecting; the ,fiXt-ure with the receptacle 13, and; a mechanical connecting ;member which. in {the ,cmbodi mentb shown is in the form 0151a bracket 15 for mechanically connecting the fixtur with 5 respect to he a receptacle. 5

connecting gbr'acket- 15','-beingbodily js1idabIy -mountedfthereon, to j :permit- 1 the necessary movement of the connecting bracket; 1 5 191 Tb m kin theamcchamcal connection 1 without interfering with the insert-ionof the {contact 3 bladeslfiiof thegplu'g intdevice '14 into the opening 17 provided in the receptacle 13.; The mechanical connector member 15 is 77 secured to a supporting plate 18 (whichmay be a sort of cover forthe outletbox) by means of fourhook members 19, which hook over the edges of suitable openings'fin the supporting plate 18. The connection be-- V tween the connecting bracket 15 and the supporting plate 18 is efiected by two movements, first a movement of insertion to bring the hook members 19 back of the plate 18, andsecond, a downward movement to enmamas-Fiannastn de vifiej n sifrcn.

' ing pla'teor escutcheon 30 may be a front ofthe'supportingplate 18. The wires L LHNQ IE.

v, eB iiie im-flnineeee meme the openin gf The'islicl' g eermec'fieebeevn th s g. in device 1%, and the,connectingfbracket' 15,: i hereinbefoiereterred ,to, fperinits the' down l mo ment oi the J connecting bracl iet 15: without interferencef'from thefiengage mentl'ef theb'ladesf ltl in the'ogemng fr, In

stationary during the downward movement of the Connecting bra ket; 15 sliding connection of "the plug-in device 14 with the connecting bracket 15 is eflected by'j in ans material of;thejibraclietj15, and a pair of inwardly" ext en ding portions 21 i of 7 1 .6 bracketl5 the vinsulating base 22 of the plug in rl vifi y flbe gw t e" h s 20 0 th ne ide; and the inwardly expe din p ruons' p21" or the dtherside; Thef lugein device 14 r 1S, pr nt d la r l movem n with re see to h fic' iiil e ngbrac l5 byimean otheifwords', thefplugj-in defiiiceilljremains bf a pair of lugs- 2'0,=; struck up" from I the offcheek 'pi'eces23jjtormedjvintegralwith the dDwnfift-er the insulating i p ti'e 1 he 7 m y s e t 1 .chee1. :i ie1 s23 as ifi'tegralpartsofthis stamping by a In; ciderr hold} e ,loi a'cketljl5gin eon: dp sitiolinthepnte- 18; reen torsion in 24 slproyidedif the coil ptirtion {if base 22 fplaceld The bracket S Pr pa r: r d'idlb bracket. '15:, and oneend goffiswhich springgb bear 011;; thefsaid 5 bracket as indicated '1 at a d 'the. othe i end lof which: spring 'bea'rs on' tb iplug in device as indicated..,lat =26.

tt 'i w ete e; new ithrespect to the. plug 1 15 downwardly 15 in engaging position'fwhenthe plug 14 I i mheimg' 'an l' rr'be ngz te med eftensionof theispri'ngli 25; is. suchias to i i f h effect of this springQelis t holdthe bracket is inserted in the receptacle,- and the bracket is connected to the supportingplate 18.

to the bracket 15 a connecting strap 27 is pro- For connecting'the stem 12 of the fixture 0 r b vided, to the intermediate portion of which 1 is secured the bushing 28 to which the stein 12 is secured, the ends of the strap being secured to the connectingbracket by'means of screws 29; A suitable ornamental finishsecured in 1 for the fixturel l2 ma'y lead fromthe stem throughmpenings 31 in. the insulatingbase pushed into Openings 17 of the receptacle, and

' the hooks, 19" are pushed into the openings V7 inthesupportingplate 18(the bracket 15 beingheld upwardlyagainst the ,tensionof the "ring 24i to bring the lends of; the hooks Ve the lower edges of these openings).

I After the hooks have been' pushed innfar connected position;

enouglnthe connecting bracket 15, is slipped down," or is allowedto [slip down to :engagef therhooksl9 in backofthe :Pl&te,'1 8.,;The

sp g" 2 i li-h l the bra'cketpl 5 in Having thus described invention, what.

I claim as new andldesire ;tof secure by.

' ters Patent fof' the UnitedfStates is 1 Means for electricallyconnecting a fix- V ture with respect; to Fa receptacle, and mechanioa11yl connecting and supporting the fiiz ture; with; -respectlto 'therecep'tacle, said me s c mp is n a pportin pl e, nectingj n'embenlanda plug n dev1ce mounted, for"b odi ly sliding' movenient' on said a "said jniember may bef-iconnected to said plateby: ve en ward said i recepta l and al era l v ,i h re p ctr o; and Y e in on he p afii' 5.Qonnected-pc it l rin i s 'mo il edf 1 im f be t a holding he-memb r in 2: Means ,for;electricallyconnectingaiix' iitiire' with respect to a rece'ptacle',";.and; me-

chanically connecting andjsupporting' th'e ifixtiirewith respect to the. receptacle, said plateg'a conmeans comprising a supporting nectingmember, and aIplug-in device mount editor bodily e s1iding movement; on lsaid member, said memben 'an'dr plate being pro- Q-fvided with inter-engaging means whereby ,7 said member maybejconnectedto said platef by movement toward j said "recepta'cle and? -.laterally with respect thereto, and yielding p 'me nber said" neinber and plate beingpro Yi'dd "gwith, interenga'gingf means whereby means acting between themember and plug tion. ,7 r v 3. Means for electrically connectlng a finture "to areceptacle, and mechanically connecting and supportingthefixture with re for holdings-the member ini connected posifspectto the receptacle, said means'comprising a supportingplate, a connectlng member I and a plug-in device mounted fo r b'odi1y' sliding moveme'nt'on' said'member, said sup: g

porting plate havinga flat apertured p0r=- tion, and said member having hooken' em bers for engaging said apertures; and ylelding means'mounted'on the memberxand acting on the plug for holding the member in connected position. f 4. Means for supporting a fixture in position with respect to a receptacle comprising a connecting-member having hooks for pass ing through asup'porting plate and hooking f in behinditJneans for electrically connecting'esaid fixture with respect to said" re ceptacle comprising "a plug having contacts for engaging the receptacle 'con'tactsf'slid ably mounted on' said connecting member wherebysaid hooks can'be moved inb'ehind said plate after said plug contacts have'entered the receptacle, and means acting be-' tween the plug and connecting member to hold the f'co'nnecting member yie'ldingly against upward 'movement to prevent the hooks from becoming disconnected fr0m" tl1e tion with respect to a receptacle compris- 5; Means for supporting a fiizture posi-i ing .a connecting memberhaving hooks for passing, through a supporting plate and hooking in behind, it, means for electrically connectinglsaid fixturewitli respect to said freceptaclecomprising a plug having c'onitac ts for engaging{the receptacle:contactsslidably mounted on said connectingfmember whereby said; hooks" can be moved in behind said plate after said plug "contacts haVe""entered the receptaclefand yieldingmeainsacting between the connecting'memberan'd"plug '7 "and tending to force the connectingmember in one "direction and I the plug in the opposite direction to prevent the bracket from being disconnected:

In witness whereof, scribed my nainexf A I i LCI-IARLES LzHQPKINSJ I have, hereunto 'subl I 

